The Spanish Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Cohort Study

Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Clinical Trial

— SAFEHEART  

Official title:

The Spanish Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Cohort Study

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02693548
• Other study ID #: SAFEHEART
• Status: Recruiting
• Start date: January 2004
• Est. completion date: October 2030

Study information

• Verified date: February 2024
• Source: Fundación Hipercolesterolemia Familiar
• Contact: Pedro Mata, MD
• Phone: 0034915570071
• Email: pmata[@]colesterolfamiliar.org
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

SAFEHEART is a large, on-going registry study in molecularly defined patients with heterozygous FH treated in Spain.

Description:

Familiar hypercholesterolemia (FH) is the most common genetic disorder associated with the development of severe and premature coronary artery disease (CAD). The disorder is caused by mutations in the gene that encodes the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-r), resulting in a lower expression of functional LDL-r in the liver. FH has autosomal dominant transmission with high penetrance and the prevalence of heterozygous individuals is one in 400 to 500 in the general population. To date, more than 800 different functional mutations of the LDL-r gene have been described worldwide, and more than 200 have been documented in Spain. In addition, a much less common disorder that resemble FH is familial defective apoB 100 disorder (FDB) produced by a mutation in the Apo B 100 gene. FDB accounts for a significant proportion of FH in some localized regions of Spain.

Life expectancy is shortened by 20 to 30 years in FH patients, and sudden death and myocardial infarction are the principal causes of death. The Simon Broome Register of FH in Great Britain, has shown that FH has a 100-fold increase in coronary mortality and a nearly 10-fold increase in total mortality, especially in young adults.

Since the 1990's, coronary mortality and total mortality in FH patients have decreased remarkably in part due to the use of more effective lipid-lowering therapy such as statins. The analysis of the Dutch FH cohort showed that an early treatment with statins after the diagnosis of the disorder leads to near normalisation of coronary heart disease risk comparable to the general population. Therefore, most of patients require an early, continuous and more intensive lipid-lowering therapy.

Despite the use of statins, this population still have a high risk for the development of premature CAD. Therefore, the need to study the relatives of a known FH case, know as cascade screening, is essential to detect those cases that are younger, probably with a less severe form of FH and are not receiving treatment to prevent cardiovascular disease development.

Although the genetic defect is probably the most important factor in the clinical expression of FH, other genetic (gene-gene interactions), environmental (particularly those relating to diet, tobacco consumption and physical activity) and metabolic factors could play an important role in modulating the atherosclerotic burden in this population.

To gain insight into the prognostic factors and mechanisms that influence the development of CAD and mortality in FH, a long-term prospective follow-up of a molecularly well-defined FH cohort using a multidisciplinary approach is necessary. This cohort is an excellent tool of translational research to evaluate and determine the principal prognostic factors related to CAD morbidity and mortality.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 4141
• Est. completion date: October 2030
• Est. primary completion date: October 2030
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 15 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Index cases with genetic diagnosis of FH and their relatives over 15 years old with a genetic diagnosis of FH and their first-degree relatives

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient unwillingness

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Familial Hypercholesterolaemia
• Hypercholesterolemia
• Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Spain	Fundacion Hipercolesterolemia Familiar	Madrid

Sponsors (3)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Fundación Hipercolesterolemia Familiar	Fundación Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III, Instituto de Salud Carlos III

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Spain, 

References & Publications (18)

Aledo R, Alonso R, Mata P, Llorente-Cortes V, Padro T, Badimon L. LRP1 gene polymorphisms are associated with premature risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia. Rev Esp Cardiol (Engl Ed). 2012 Sep;65(9):807-12. doi: 10.1016/j.recesp.2012.03.013. Epub 2012 Jul 20. English, Spanish. — View Citation

Alonso R, Andres E, Mata N, Fuentes-Jimenez F, Badimon L, Lopez-Miranda J, Padro T, Muniz O, Diaz-Diaz JL, Mauri M, Ordovas JM, Mata P; SAFEHEART Investigators. Lipoprotein(a) levels in familial hypercholesterolemia: an important predictor of cardiovascular disease independent of the type of LDL receptor mutation. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014 May 20;63(19):1982-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2014.01.063. Epub 2014 Mar 13. — View Citation

Alonso R, Castillo S, Civeira F, Puzo J, de la Cruz JJ, Pocovi M, Mata P. [Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia in Spain. Description of 819 non related cases]. Med Clin (Barc). 2002 Apr 13;118(13):487-92. doi: 10.1016/s0025-7753(02)72428-7. Spanish. — View Citation

Alonso R, Defesche JC, Tejedor D, Castillo S, Stef M, Mata N, Gomez-Enterria P, Martinez-Faedo C, Forga L, Mata P. Genetic diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia using a DNA-array based platform. Clin Biochem. 2009 Jun;42(9):899-903. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2009.01.017. Epub 2009 Feb 6. — View Citation

Alonso R, Mata N, Castillo S, Fuentes F, Saenz P, Muniz O, Galiana J, Figueras R, Diaz JL, Gomez-Enterria P, Mauri M, Piedecausa M, Irigoyen L, Aguado R, Mata P; Spanish Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Group. Cardiovascular disease in familial hypercholesterolaemia: influence of low-density lipoprotein receptor mutation type and classic risk factors. Atherosclerosis. 2008 Oct;200(2):315-21. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2007.12.024. Epub 2008 Feb 20. — View Citation

Alonso R, Mata P, De Andres R, Villacastin BP, Martinez-Gonzalez J, Badimon L. Sustained long-term improvement of arterial endothelial function in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia patients treated with simvastatin. Atherosclerosis. 2001 Aug;157(2):423-9. doi: 10.1016/s0021-9150(00)00733-4. — View Citation

Alonso R, Mata P, Zambon D, Mata N, Fuentes-Jimenez F. Early diagnosis and treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia: improving patient outcomes. Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther. 2013 Mar;11(3):327-42. doi: 10.1586/erc.13.7. — View Citation

Castillo S, Tejedor D, Mozas P, Reyes G, Civeira F, Alonso R, Ros E, Pocovi M, Mata P. The apolipoprotein B R3500Q gene mutation in Spanish subjects with a clinical diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia. Atherosclerosis. 2002 Nov;165(1):127-35. doi: 10.1016/s0021-9150(02)00190-9. — View Citation

Civeira F, Castillo S, Alonso R, Merino-Ibarra E, Cenarro A, Artied M, Martin-Fuentes P, Ros E, Pocovi M, Mata P; Spanish Familial Hypercholesterolemia Group. Tendon xanthomas in familial hypercholesterolemia are associated with cardiovascular risk independently of the low-density lipoprotein receptor gene mutation. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2005 Sep;25(9):1960-5. doi: 10.1161/01.ATV.0000177811.14176.2b. Epub 2005 Jul 14. — View Citation

Criado-Garcia J, Fuentes F, Cruz-Teno C, Garcia-Rios A, Jimenez-Morales A, Delgado-Lista J, Mata P, Alonso R, Lopez-Miranda J, Perez-Jimenez F; Spanish Group for the Study of Familiar Hypercholesterolemia. R353Q polymorphism in the factor VII gene and cardiovascular risk in Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia: a case-control study. Lipids Health Dis. 2011 Apr 9;10:50. doi: 10.1186/1476-511X-10-50. — View Citation

Fuentes F, Alcala-Diaz JF, Watts GF, Alonso R, Muniz O, Diaz-Diaz JL, Mata N, Sanchez Munoz-Torrero JF, Brea A, Galiana J, Figueras R, Aguado R, Piedecausa M, Cepeda JM, Vidal JI, Rodriguez-Cantalejo F, Lopez-Miranda J, Mata P; SAFEHEART Investigators. Statins do not increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in familial hypercholesterolemia: The SAFEHEART study. Int J Cardiol. 2015 Dec 15;201:79-84. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2015.07.107. Epub 2015 Aug 5. — View Citation

Garcia-Rios A, Perez-Martinez P, Fuentes F, Mata P, Lopez-Miranda J, Alonso R, Rodriguez F, Garcia-Olid A, Ruano J, Ordovas JM, Perez-Jimenez F. Genetic variations at ABCG5/G8 genes modulate plasma lipids concentrations in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia. Atherosclerosis. 2010 Jun;210(2):486-92. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2010.01.010. Epub 2010 Jan 22. — View Citation

Garcia-Rios A, Perez-Martinez P, Mata P, Fuentes F, Lopez-Miranda J, Alonso R, Caballero J, Mata N, Perez-Jimenez F, Ordovas JM. Polymorphism at the TRIB1 gene modulates plasma lipid levels: insight from the Spanish familial hypercholesterolemia cohort study. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2011 Dec;21(12):957-63. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2010.04.002. Epub 2010 Aug 6. — View Citation

Mata N, Alonso R, Badimon L, Padro T, Fuentes F, Muniz O, Perez-Jimenez F, Lopez-Miranda J, Diaz JL, Vidal JI, Barba A, Piedecausa M, Sanchez JF, Irigoyen L, Guallar E, Ordovas JM, Mata P. Clinical characteristics and evaluation of LDL-cholesterol treatment of the Spanish Familial Hypercholesterolemia Longitudinal Cohort Study (SAFEHEART). Lipids Health Dis. 2011 Jun 10;10:94. doi: 10.1186/1476-511X-10-94. — View Citation

Merino-Ibarra E, Castillo S, Mozas P, Cenarro A, Martorell E, Diaz JL, Suarez-Tembra M, Alonso R, Civeira F, Mata P, Pocovi M; Spanish Group of Familial Hypercholesterolemia. Screening of APOB gene mutations in subjects with clinical diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia. Hum Biol. 2005 Oct;77(5):663-73. — View Citation

Vallejo-Vaz AJ, Kondapally Seshasai SR, Cole D, Hovingh GK, Kastelein JJ, Mata P, Raal FJ, Santos RD, Soran H, Watts GF, Abifadel M, Aguilar-Salinas CA, Akram A, Alnouri F, Alonso R, Al-Rasadi K, Banach M, Bogsrud MP, Bourbon M, Bruckert E, Car J, Corral P, Descamps O, Dieplinger H, Durst R, Freiberger T, Gaspar IM, Genest J, Harada-Shiba M, Jiang L, Kayikcioglu M, Lam CS, Latkovskis G, Laufs U, Liberopoulos E, Nilsson L, Nordestgaard BG, O'Donoghue JM, Sahebkar A, Schunkert H, Shehab A, Stoll M, Su TC, Susekov A, Widen E, Catapano AL, Ray KK. Familial hypercholesterolaemia: A global call to arms. Atherosclerosis. 2015 Nov;243(1):257-9. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2015.09.021. Epub 2015 Sep 18. No abstract available. — View Citation

Vazquez C, Alonso R, Garriga M, de Cos A, de la Cruz JJ, Fuentes-Jimenez F, Salas-Salvado J, Mata P. Validation of a food frequency questionnaire in Spanish patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2012 Oct;22(10):836-42. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2011.01.007. Epub 2011 Jun 23. — View Citation

Zambon D, Quintana M, Mata P, Alonso R, Benavent J, Cruz-Sanchez F, Gich J, Pocovi M, Civeira F, Capurro S, Bachman D, Sambamurti K, Nicholas J, Pappolla MA. Higher incidence of mild cognitive impairment in familial hypercholesterolemia. Am J Med. 2010 Mar;123(3):267-74. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2009.08.015. — View Citation

* Note: There are 18 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Prognostic assessment: time to fatal or non-fatal cardiovascular event.	Time to first cardiovascular event: fatal or non-fatal myocardial infarction, fatal or non-fatal ischemic stroke, coronary revascularization, peripheral artery revascularization, aortic valve replacement or cardiovascular death.	up to 12 years
Secondary	LDL-cholesterol level (mg/dl) at entry and at follow-up	LDL-cholesterol measurement at enrolment and after follow-up. At enrolment, a central core lab is in charge of the analysis. During follow-up, a yearly-based phone call is used to contact every subject and a complete lipid profile is obtained from the patient (obtained in his/her usual medical care).	up to12 years